Cotton Rosser, famously known as the “King of the Cowboys,” was a legendary stock contractor and rodeo producer.
Born on August 5, 1928, in Long Beach, California, he studied animal science at Cal Poly, where he excelled in rodeo competitions, winning national titles in the early 1950s. After a ranch accident ended his professional rodeo career, he purchased the Flying U Rodeo Company in 1956, turning it into America’s oldest continually operating stock contracting business. The Flying U Ranch, based in Marysville, California, became known for its successful bucking horse breeding program and its contributions to the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), supplying bulls throughout the organization’s history.
Rosser received numerous accolades, including the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame induction in 1995, the Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, and the Hall of Great Westerners induction in 2015. He was also honored with the PRCA Donita Barnes Contract Personnel Lifetime Achievement award and named Legend of Pro Rodeo in 2019. In 2021, Marysville honored him with a bronze statue, capturing his iconic image on a horse.
Instrumental in developing high school rodeo in California, Rosser’s influence extended across generations. In 2014, he received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from California State University.
Rosser passed away on June 22, 2022, at 93. His legacy endures through his contributions to rodeo and the generations of families he entertained and inspired.
